This type of rod belt is known from DE 195 20 925 A1. A disadvantage of this known rod belt is that numerous connecting points must be provided between the rods and the belts, in particular for a small rod division.
This disadvantage also exists in rod belts whose belts are provided on the bottom side with cams for a positive drive. The belts run with their cams over deflection wheels and drive wheels which are provided with a means which engages with the spaces between the cams, i.e., which has the same division as the cams and provides a positive drive or positive guide for the rod belts. This type of rod belt is known from DE 10 2007 049 839 B3, for example. In such rod belts, the division of the rods corresponds to the division of the cams, since the fastening points of the rods are located in the gaps between the cams. This is disadvantageous when a rod belt having a certain rod division must be exchanged for another belt having a different rod division. It is then necessary to replace not only the belts, but also the corresponding deflection wheels and drive wheels.
To eliminate this disadvantage, it has been proposed in DE 34 41 605 A1 not to guide the cams over the entire width of the belts, but, rather, to provide border zones which are free of cams. It is thus possible to fix the rods on the belts regardless of the division of the cams. As a result of this approach, rod belts may be produced in which the rod division differs from, and in particular may be smaller than, the division of the cams.